The oldest daffodils in Devon

Difficult to prove, but Hartland Abbey has a strong claim on this boast: some of its daffodils were planted 150 years ago.

SEE THEM NEXT MONTH: In all their glory, plus lots of other beautiful spring flowers (camellias, hellebores, mimosas, primroses and violets) on a special reduced price open day.

Make a day of it with daffodil-filled walks around the orchard (normally closed), walled garden and gazebo and to the nearby beach and Blackpool Mill.

BACKGROUND: The estate and the surrounding area is well known as a film location, most recently for The Salt Path movie, due out soon.

Equally important as the flowers, the tea rooms will be open, serving hot food and cream teas.

Daffodil Day, Hartland Abbey, near Bideford. 11am to 4pm, Sunday March 16th. Adult £10, children 5-15 £1.

Top value equestrian wear at discount prices

Top equestrian brands Dublin, Rich & Sons, Toggi and HKM are offering up to 50% off normal prices at next month’s outlet sale in Exeter.

Find bargains on a wide range of products including horse rugs, riding wear, footwear, and accessories.

Plus check out Rich & Sons Saddlery’s spring and summer essentials: lightweight turnout rugs, fly rugs, and fly masks, riding gloves, whips, hay nets, bridles and headcollars.

Westpoint Centre, Ottery St Mary, Exeter.

9am to 5pm, Saturday 22nd and 9am to 2pm Sunday 23rd March. Free entry and parking.

Learn about the pine marten comeback

Beautiful pine martens are back in Dartmoor and are now being reintroduced to Exmoor.

Cat-sized, shy, curious and playful, these endangered tree climbers havn’t been seen in Devon for more than 100 years.

Last year 15 from Scotland were released in secret locations in Dartmoor and now further releases are planned for Exmoor.

WHERE CAN I SEE THEM? Pine martens live in woodlands. There have been sightings on Haldon Ridge near Exeter and in the Teign Valley. At this stage of their reintroduction seeing one is rare.

Learn more about pine martens at a Devon Wildlife Trust talk at Quince Honey Farm, South Molton.

6.30pm, Wednesday 19th March. Tickets: £5

The extraordinary life of Agatha Christie

It doesn’t matter if you’ve never read an Agatha Christie book.

One of the most popular English Riviera things to do is the Torquay walking tour that traces the crime novelist’s early personal and professional life.

LEARN ABOUT: Agatha’s first 30 years growing up in Torquay, and see where she rollerskated along the pier. See the hotel where she spent her honeymoon, and the place she met the retired Belgian inspector who inspired Poirot.

Plus, get a selfie with Agatha’s statue.

WHEN AND WHERE: English Riviera Walking Tours run regular 2.5 hour walks on weekdays and weekends at 10am. Starts at the Visitor Information Centre, Vaughan Parade.

Tickets: Adult £20, child £10.

The perfect gift: prints inspired by water and nature (20% off for Mother’s Day)

[Partner promotion]* Artist Megan Hall had her first salt water swim in 2018 and has never looked back.

The experience brought together her creativity and love of the outdoors and, despite no experience as an printmaker or artist, nudged her to start something new.

In her limited edition prints the Devon artist captures the connections we have to water and the emotions they bring.

They make a perfect Mother’s Day gift. Claim 20% off and free postage using the code GODEVON in the Flotsam Prints shop, exclusive to Go Devon! members.

The North Devon riverside half marathon

Taking in magnificent countryside alongside the River Torridge and along the Tarka Trail, you even get to run through a tunnel.

There’s a £200 prize for the first man and woman and other cash prizes in the 30th Bideford Half Marathon.

All entrants get a medal and T-shirt, and there is a trophy for the best single fancy dress outfit.

10.30am, Sunday 9th March. Entries: Adult from £24.86. Online entries close Friday 7th March, 8pm.

🚀 Advertise your Devon brand

Boost your business by reaching an engaged, fast-growing audience of Devon leisure and events lovers. See the features list for opportunities aligning with your Devon brand.

Devon Curiosities #46: Overbeck’s

Plants from Brazil, New Zealand, the Canaries and South Africa greet visitors at a surprising subtropical garden near Salcombe.

They flourish in the seaside microclimate terraced into the cliffside in the garden of the National Trust property Overbeck’s.

FEATURES: Zig-zag walkways, towering palms, grasses and succulents. Gazebo Garden, Banana Garden and Olive Grove. A bronze Albert Bruce Joy sculpture (pictured) and Orangery glasshouse.

HISTORY: Overbecks is named after its last private owner Otto Overbeck, who left the property to the National Trust on his death in 1937. The Cactus Conservatory was used by recuperating soldiers during the Second World War.

Overbeck’s opens on Sunday 2nd March (closed on Fridays and Saturdays).

Entry: Adult £11, child (5-17) £5.50. The house is closed to the public.

Member poll

WHAT ELSE IS ON?

🌊 North Devon 

FEBRUARY

Fri 21st

COMEDY | 😆 Comedy Club | Cedars Inn, Barnstaple | Tickets £16.50

Sat 22nd

ART WORKSHOP | ✏️ Drawing from the Subconscious | Burton at Bideford Art Gallery and Museum, Bideford | Tickets £92.80

Sat 22nd to Sun 23rd

CYCLE RACE | 🚴‍♂️ Devon Coast to Coast | Foreland Point, Lynmouth to Prawle Point | Entry £75

Wed 26th

COMEDY | 🎙️ Ed Byrne: Tragedy Plus Time | Queens Theatre, Barnstaple | Tickets from £36.50

Thu 27th

BALLET SCREENING | 🩰 The Royal Ballet and Opera Cinema Screening: Swan Lake | The Landmark Theatre, Ilfracombe | Tickets from £14

THEATRE | 🎭 The Adult Panto: Jack and his Giant Stalk | Queen’s Theatre, Barnstaple | Tickets from £19.50

See 42 more North Devon events

🐬 South Devon

FEBRUARY

Daily until Sun 23rd

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION | 🖼️ Dartmoor: A Radical Landscape | Royal Albert Memorial Museum and Art Gallery, Exeter | Adult tickets £6, U19s free

Daily until Mon 24th

ART EXHIBITION | 🖼️ A celebration of original prints from Tamar Print Workshop | Ocean Studios Factory Cooperage, Plymouth | Free entry

Fri 21st

TREE PLANTING | 🌳 Tree Planting with Devon Wildlife Trust | Fishchowter’s Lane, Totnes | Free

TRIBUTE ACT | 🎤 Viva Morrissey | Steel Brew, Royal William Yard, Plymouth | Tickets £15

Fri 21st to Sat 22nd

CRAFTS | 🧶 South West Quilt Show | Newton Abbot Racecourse, Newton Abbot | Adult tickets £7, U16s free

Sat 22nd to Sun 23rd

CYCLING | 🚴‍♂️ Devon Coast to Coast | Foreland Point, Lynmouth to Prawle Point, E Prawle | Entry £75

See 57 more South Devon events 

🏆️ Get lucky! Win Devon leisure prizes

FEATURED: 🍖 Sunday lunch for 4 at The Bucket & Spade Cafe, Shaldon. EX or TQ postcodes only (28th Feb)

2️⃣ + 2️⃣ A 2-night getaway for 2 at 2 quality hotels and a restaurant. Bed and breakfast at voco Zeal and the Two Bridges Hotel, and lunch for two at Rendezvous, including wine (24th Feb)

NEW!  🏰 A 2-night stay for 6 people in a self-catering apartment in Watermouth Castle, with unlimited entry to the theme park (28th Feb)

🍷 An escape to Totnes including a 1-night stay at the Forge Hotel, a £60 dining voucher, and cinema tickets (28th Feb)

⭐️ A night away for 2 at Exeter's brand new 4-star hotel including breakfast and parking (28th Feb)

⛱️ An English Riviera caravan holiday worth £600 (28th Feb)

🏨 A 1-night bed and breakfast break for 2 at Future Inn, Plymouth (28th Feb)

🍾 A 1-night stay with dinner for two, plus Prosecco on arrival, at one of the oldest pubs in South Hams (28th Feb)

⛵️ 3 nights away for 2 people in Sidmouth and Salcombe with breakfasts and 1 dinner plus £1,000 spending money (28th Feb)

🐴 Free admission and a table for 10 worth £1,650 at Exeter Racecourse’s Construction Raceday on Friday 7th March (2nd Mar)

🎫 1 of 4 family tickets to Diggerland (4th Mar)

🍸️ 2 bottles of vodka from Tors Distillery (5th Mar)

♨️ A private 55-minute sauna session for 1 in Totnes worth £99 (5th Mar)

NEW!  🌳 1 of 2 x 2-day pitches for caravan or motorhome at the peaceful Woodland Springs Touring Park, Drewsteignton (12th Mar)

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 A family ticket to drive diggers and dump trucks at Diggerland (23rd Mar)

🥧 £150 of your choice of Devon-made pies, pasties and sausage rolls delivered to your door (30th Mar)

NEW!  🪙 A “golden ticket” with free entry for 4 people to more than 30 Devon attractions, worth £1,500, for 12 months from date of issue (31st Mar)

NEW!  ♨️ A 2-night lodge stay for 4 people, including private hot tub, at The Mole Resort, North Devon, worth over £250 (1st Apr)

NEW!  🎉 1 of 4 free 2025 Devon holidays at either River Dart Country Park, Cofton Holidays, Woodlands Grove or Crealy Theme Park (30th Apr)

😜 2 weekend family tickets to the Gone Wild Festival, Exeter worth £1,200 (29th May)

🐑 A midweek or weekend break for 4 people at Lower Campscott Farm in North Devon including farm activities (no closing date given)

New member? Catch up here

😂 Comedy and offbeat shows 2025

🏁 Return of the Gladiators

🏍️ Behold, the classics of the road

🥳 For those who like to book early 2025 (2)

That’s all for this week, but don’t forget to check out the Flotsam Prints shop for Mother’s Day gift ideas, and claim 20% off with the discount code GODEVON.

Thanks for being a member.

With Devon love,

Andy, Esme, Lara and the Go Devon! team

*Partner promotions. Go Devon! sometimes earns fees or commissions from promotions from carefully selected partners aligned with member interests.